1. Field of the Invention
The field of x-ray and other imaging systems as applied to the detection and location of cancers and other tumors of the breast.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The closest prior patent art known to applicant consists of the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 3,365,575 Strax 3,530,293 Wehmer 3,556,081 Jones 3,578,971 Lasky 3,609,355 Schwarzer 3,636,349 Faude et al 3,824,397 Bauer et al 3,973,126 Redington et al 3,991,316 Schmidt et al 4,097,748 Monvoisin 4,259,585 Novak et al 4,599,738 Panetta et al 4,910,756 Mikkonen et al 4,926,453 Toniolo 4,979,196 Lieutaud et al 5,078,142 Siczek et al ______________________________________
Of these patents, the most pertinent is believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,397 issued to Bauer et al. As stated in the Bauer specification, column 1, first three paragraphs, the Bauer invention is of a device of x-ray mammography wherein the support for the x-ray tube and the film table "can be tilted with respect to the horizontal arm about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of this arm" As stated in Column 2, lines 24, 25, the photography device is shown (FIG. 3) "in a tilted forward position".
There is no suggestion in Bauer that the x-ray tube and film table assembly can or should be tilted in rearward direction, since this would conflict with the purpose of moving "the entire photography 4 towards the patient" (Column 2, lines 13, 14).
Another prior art patent that is pertinent to the present invention is Siczek et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,142. This patent utilizes gravity to maximize exposure of the patient's breast to an x-ray beam, but it requires that the patient, or at least the upper part of the patient's body, lie prone on a specially designed table, see FIGS. 1A and 2 thereof.
Lasky U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,971 shows a patient bent over to the extent that the breast "is in a vertical suspended position" (Column 2, lines 23,24) being held in that position between "vertical walls 20 and 22" (Column 2, lines 36-39). This appears to be equivalent to the prone position of the patient in FIG. 2 of the Siczek patent.
The present invention differs from the Bauer et al. patent in that the mammograph of the present invention does not tilt forwardly for a mammography procedure. The present invention differs from the Siczek et al. and Lasky patents in that it enables the patient to stand or sit in front of the mammograph while leaning forwardly within a relatively comfortable angular range into operative mammography position.